This invention relates to containers for parenteral drugs and, more particularly, to parenteral drug storage devices of the type that can be prefilled with a drug for storage and which has means for arming the device prior to administration of the drug.
Parenteral drugs are often packaged and stored in glass ampoules or vials. Ampoules are used by breaking the necked portion and inserting the needle of a syringe into the main body portion to draw the desired quantity of drug into the syringe. Vials are used by inserting the needle of a syringe through the rubber stopper on the vial. There are certain undesirable aspects associated with these devices. For example, both a syringe and an ampoule or vial are required. There is the danger of injecting glass or stopper particles into the patient since the same needle is used to draw the drug into the syringe and to inject the drug. The additional handling of the parts in order to fill the syringe increases the danger of contamination. Also, the time required to fill the syringe, particularly where the dosage is of relatively large volume, can be highly undesirable, especially in emergency cases.
Prefilled syringes generally have a double-ended needle cannula which is shifted relative to the barrel containing the drug to arm the syringe for use. While the drug may be conveniently stored in the syringe barrel, these devices usually employ a glass barrel having a generally relatively expensive necked-down portion with a flange, and a cap clamping a pierceable seal to the barrel end and being fitted over the flange, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,686 and 3,375,825.
Both of the above-mentioned systems are also generally limited in use to applications where direct infusion of the drug is accomplished through the needle connected to the barrel. Neither system is generally suitable for use with other drug administration devices such as catheters, intravenous administration or infusion devices employing catheters, or other conventional fluid couplers.